Cancer trends among insured and non-insured individuals in Ohio

Background: There are currently over 1.2 million uninsured adult Ohioans. Little is known about estimated cancer trends among Ohio's uninsured compared to the insured population. Methods: This study uses the 2008-09 Ohio Family Health Survey, a complex designed phone-based survey of 50,944 non-institutional households collecting information on health care and socioeconomic demographic characteristics – particularly insurance coverage and access to care. Descriptive analyses were run assessing overall prevalence of cancer among the insured and non-insured. Results: Among both the uninsured and insured, overall cancer rates were highest in the suburban regions of Ohio, however some of the highest individual rates were found in specific Appalachian counties. Demographically, the majority of individuals with cancer were white, female, married and insured. They were also highly educated and had the highest level of income. Among those without insurance, those individuals were also mostly white, female, married, and above the 100% poverty level. Associated risk factors include a history of smoking and unemployment. In the Appalachian counties characteristics of the population were relatively similar, with a notable greater proportion of individuals with a history of smoking and drinking. Conclusion: The population characteristics among those with cancer were fairly similar between those that were insured and uninsured. A key difference, as expected, was an increased prevalence of smokers and drinkers in the counties with the greatest proportion of cancer rates. Future research should aim to examine the association of smoking and drinking as significant predictors of cancer risk in the Appalachian counties of Ohio.